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Offline river6109  
#1 Posted : 02 March 2015 14:09:06(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Hi every one,

most of my passenger trains if not all when I get to it, is to install interior lights, instead of buying individual decoders or other methods, I've been using Roco and Fleischmann 4 pin electrical couplings but there is a problem with it: the cost, they can range from Euro 12.00 to Euro 18.00 for a pair which equates to 1 passenger carriage, multiplying it by 200 (carriages) this becomes a small fortune (2400 euros).

I've been searching the internet to see if there are cheaper versions on the market but without luck, so today I've started getting my innovative brain going, nothing unusual for a Sunday and came up with the idea to use double pin female round pin header sockets.

there was a serious measuring strategy necessary and first the idea hit a dead end because the sockets weren't long enough to replace the common or norm size of other finished product such as I've mentioned above. the female sockets needed a 3 pin double row using them in a horizontal position the pins interfered with the coupling shaft, I could have used 4 pin double row but than taking the socket apart would be even more difficult. the other method I have used before when you break the coupling pin which goes into the shaft I drilled a very tiny hole right into the middle slid a sturdy wire with a drop of superglue into it and bingo it was fixed, I've done the same again by cutting the coupling pin right at the end (Fleischmann Profi coupling = the are stiffer than the rest of the couplings) and did the same on the header (drilling a hole), slightly below the top end but at the same time cut of the 2 top pins, as I said before the header on its own was too short so I've added another one and this is more or less exactly the same length as an ordinary coupling or electrical coupling, in actual fact is is about 2mm shorter and this gives you an even shorter distance between carriages without interfering with anything.

the following picture should shine some light behind the idea and the cost efficient way by producing another option available

regards.,

John
river6109 attached the following image(s):
DSC051450009.JPG
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DSC051480012.JPG
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Offline Webmaster  
#2 Posted : 02 March 2015 18:24:36(UTC)
Webmaster


Joined: 25/07/2001(UTC)
Posts: 11,161
And these are available from cheap Chinese sources too..

Bought these for a similar project, but your project is better... Wink

Webmaster attached the following image(s):
connectors.jpg
Juhan - "Webmaster", at your service...
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. [Old Chinese Proverb]
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Offline river6109  
#3 Posted : 03 March 2015 04:58:26(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Juhan,

there seems to be plenty of this type on the market and you're right either from China or Hong Kong and they are much cheaper especially when you buy a considerable amount of them, double rows however are more difficult to find and there are 2 types, straight or round header pins. I was unsure with the straight header pins whether or not they would hold together the same way the round header does as one could not separate them by pulling them apart manually or there could be a risk you damage the whole coupling assembly. I may would have prefered the straight header as the length of them seem to be longer than the round ones, hence I had to use 2 of them to reach the same length applicable to the short couplings but another benefit of these I used, is the whole length is 2mm shorter and this brings the wagon closer together without interfering with anything else.

John
https://www.youtube.com/river6109
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5 years in Destruction mode
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Offline river6109  
#4 Posted : 03 March 2015 17:35:45(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
I've done a bit more work

I have covered the plugs with shrinktube

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UserPostedImage
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Offline river6109  
#5 Posted : 03 March 2015 18:19:11(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
there was a very good suggestion on EBFÖ's forum to make the coupling symetric by using a double line female plug on the back and 2 single lines in the front and by doing his you could attach the wires for instance on top and use both the middle contacts and the same with the bottom contacts, unfortunately this doesn't work for me as I need 4 contacts. It may also cause a problem to attach the coupling sleeve plus soldering the wires at almost the same spot, the moment you insert the coupling sleeve into the shaft the wires would be in the way and the coupling wouldn't click into its end position, I may get some straight headers with 8 contacts (2x4) and see if I can delete 2 contacts and use this space to add the coupling sleeve to it and I would have 6 contacts left por maybe even 10 contacts (2x5) and this would leave me 8 contacts, I don't think the width would create a problem its more the height or the depth.

UserPostedImage

John
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5 years in Destruction mode
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Offline river6109  
#6 Posted : 08 March 2015 09:59:57(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Hi everyone and especially our hobbyists who like a bit of a challenge and is always ready for new and hopefully practical ideas.

My thinking head told me to simplify the electrical coupling and at the same time came up with an idea of a symmetric 4 pin coupling.

it could be used as a 4 pin coupling with one end male and the other female or to add a 8 pin socket and convert it into a 4 pin symmetric coupling without having to couple the carriages one way or the other.

instead of using, adding and fixing a coupling plug into the coupling shaft, I'm now playing with the idea of using a 4 pin 2.54mm pitch socket and inserting 2 pins into the coupling shaft. a.) saves me cutting the coupling plug from another coupling, b.) saves time to fix the plug onto the socket, c.) now I can use a 4 pin socket instead of a 6 pin socket, d.) can convert the 4 pin coupling into a 8 pin symmetric coupling. e.) as the coupling plug no longer goes into the coupling shaft, I can also cut off the front of the shaft a bit to make the gap between the carriages less. pictures of the difference will be shown at a later stage.

I've roughly worked out the price if and as I already have purchased a lot of the ready made electrical couplings (Roco) at the beginning about Euro 8.00 and now sell for about Euro 10.00 - Euro 14.00 a pair.

I would say I still have about at least 40 carriages to convert and this is a cost of about Euro 560.00, if I would use a ready made interior led light strip this would be another Euro 8.00 at least adding another Euro 320.00 to the overall cost, with a total of approx. Euro 900.00.
My cost not including labour is about A$ 1.00 per carriage and my labour costs are free,
here are some pictures I've prepared so you can see the changes I've made from the first example to this one.
I fully understand this is not every bodies cup of tea but I'm sure there are hobbyists out there who may haven't bothered in the past like me spending a lot of money on electrical couplings and have shelved any potential "have a go" project.
All my passenger trains will be running as a fixed fixture and any changes to the options which carriage with which carriage will be minimal and in any event can be changed if required, the only setback is there will be 3 different types of electrical couplings, Roco, Fleischmann and my own concoction but all is needed here some lateral thinking by leaving or adding a Roco coupling on one end of the carriage so one can adapt to the current setup. (most of my locos have a 4 pin Roco elect.coupling and a few ÖBB locos have the Fleischmann coupling including some ÖBB local rolling stock.

the next pictures shows you the new construction with the option of a symmetrical 4 pin coupling, the 4 pin coupling could also be used as a 2 pin symmetrical coupling and as Juhan has shown us a picture of the single row sockets and this could be used as a single elctrical coupling whereas the socket and wires get fed through the coupling shaft as all other options are.
to make it a symmetric coupling there have to be 4 pins inserted on one side of the 8 pin socket and for a 2 pin symmetric coupling 2 pinsw have to be inserted on one side.
river6109 attached the following image(s):
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Offline witzlerh  
#7 Posted : 09 March 2015 16:18:41(UTC)
witzlerh

Canada   
Joined: 25/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 417
Location: Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
That is a really neat idea. Kind of like Scharfenberg couplers.
Harald
CS2 DB & Canadian Era 3-6
Offline river6109  
#8 Posted : 10 March 2015 14:23:29(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Originally Posted by: witzlerh Go to Quoted Post
That is a really neat idea. Kind of like Scharfenberg couplers.


yes it could be interpreted as a Scharfenberg coupling. having looked at most electrical couplings I can't understand why nobody has come up with a cheaper version instead of selling them for between Euro 12.00 - 18.00 instead say Euro 5.00.

John

https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
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Offline river6109  
#9 Posted : 20 March 2015 17:00:41(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Hi everyone, there could be another version coming soon, I'm just waiting for an answer for new Straight Header Pitch Socket Strips measurements which if they are the same depth as electrical couplers we're in luck so wait and see and watch this spot for mew innovations shortly to be revealed.

John
https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
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